Ignition timer



' Sept. 22, 1942. -L w. RAY

IGNITION TIMER Filed June 14, 1941 INVEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IGNITION TIMER Lawrence Warren Ray, Gladewater, Tex. Application June 14, 1941, Serial No. 398,147

3 Claims.

Ignition timers for internal combustion engines often comprise a housing and a breaker plate supported for oscillatory rotation in the housing, several transversely spaced anti-friction balls being mounted in a race in the periphery of the breaker plate and in a race formed directly in the housing. Such a structure, for example, is shown in Patent 2,131,019, issued on September 27, 1938, to J. T. Arthur et al.

The balls have a limited circumferential travel, and, consequently, the race in the housing is deepened at circumferentially spaced places, to form what may be referred to conveniently as ruts.

Due to the formation of the ruts, a wide variation in the dwell angle of the contact points is produced, which in turn brings about a wide variation in the ignition timing of an internal combustion engine, efficiency being impaired. The balls, entering the ruts, throw the breaker plate out of line and out of level, causing the contact points to be too close together or too far apart, the points failing to break, at certain engine loads.

The present remedial custom is to throw away the ball-worn housing and install a new one, a proceeding which is costly: and unnecessary becaues there is little wrong with the discarded housing, aside from the fact that it has become ball-worn or rutted at circumferentially spaced places in the race of the housing. This invention aims to provide a simple means for restoring a ball-worn housing to its aforetime usefulness.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a novel wear ring, adapted to be introduced into a timer housing of known construction, to bridge or cover the ruts in the housing, novel means being supplied for holding the ring against rotation, and novel means being furnished whereby the balls can be introduced into the ring.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains,

With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in vertical section, a portion of a timer housing equipped with the device which characterizes the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the ring;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section showing a modification;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Selecting aforesaid Patent 2,131,019 as an example of a timer wherein the present invention may be embodied, there is shown a cupshaped housing ID, of such size as to enclose substantially all working parts of the timer. The housing In is provided with an internal, circumferential, ball race groove 50, formed directly in an integral portion of the housing, the ball race groove receiving anti-friction balls A breaker plate 58 is supported for oscillatory rotation in the housing I0, responsive to the operation of the vacuum unit (not shown). The breaker plate 58 has an upstanding flange 60, provided with a ball race 62. The balls 56 are disposed in the ball race 62 and are held in circumferentially spaced relation by a retainer ring 64. The housing In is supplied with one or more vertical admission grooves 54, leading downwardly to the ball race groove 50, the grooves 54 being adapted to receive the balls 56 to facilitate assembly.

It is with such a device, or with an analogous structure, that the wear ring, hereinafter described, is adapted to be used.

A hard but resiliently expansible wear ring I is provided and, sometimes, is made of steel. The wear ring I comprises a first flange 2 and a second flange 3, the flanges being connected by a trough-like member 4.

The ring I is divided transversely at a single place, as shown at 5, to form free ends. The ring I is sprung into place within the housing ID. The flange portions 2 and 3 engage the inner surface of the housing H], on opposite sides of the ball race groove 50, the convexit of the trough-like member 4 fitting closely in the ball race groove 50 of the housing, the concavity of said member forming a ball race which faces the periphery of the breaker plate 58, and, specifically, the ball race 62 of the flange 60. The balls 56 are received in the ball race groove 50 and in the concavity or race of the member 4. A means is provided for holding the ring I against rotation in the housing I 0, and, with that end in View, the free terminal portions of the ring are supplied with outwardly extended fingers 6, received in an opening 1 in the housing H3. The opening 7 may be the hole through which the lead wire for the timer pass. The lead wire is not shown in the drawing.

The ring I is provided with a transverse, trough-shaped ofiset 8, fitting in the admission groove 54 of the housing lo, the offset forming a continuation of the admission groove and leading to the ball race represented by the concavity of the part 4 of the ring.

The ring I is of a common width throughout, but a different construction is resorted to in the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing. In those figures, parts he'reinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the suflix a.

The ring Ia has its upper flange, corresponding to the flange 30f Fig. 3, and its member 4a cut away at spaced places, to produce circumferentially spaced track portions, having the same cross section as that shown in Fig. 3, and to produce connecting elements 9, of reduced width,

forming parts of the flanges which correspond to the flanges 2 of Fig. 3. Stated more simply, the ring I is'provided with a; race 4 extended entirely around the ring, whereas the ring la has spaced races, disposed at the places where the ball-wear occurs. In either form of the invention, the'ruts (not .shown in the drawing) are bridged over, and the provision of a new housing is rendered unnecessary.

Having thus claimed is:

1. Repair structure for the ignition timer of an internal combustion engine, said structure comprising a renewable, transversely divided Wear ring including first and second flange portions shaped for engagement with the inner surface of a housing, on opposite sides of a ball race described the invention, what is groove therein, the first and second flange portions being connected by a trough-like member, the convexity of which is shaped to fit closely in said ball race groove of a housing, the concavity of said member forming an inwardly facing ball race, anti-friction balls in the race of the ring, and means for holding the ring against rotation, the ring being cut away transversely, to produce connecting elements of reduced width, which are parts,of the first flange portion.

2. Repair structure for the ignition timer of an internal combustion engine, said structure comprising a renewable, transversely divided Wear ring including first and second flange portions shaped for engagement with the inner surface of a housing, on opposite sides of a ball race groove therein, the first and. second flange portions being connected by a trough-like member, the convexity of which is shaped to fit closely in said ball race groove of a housing, the concavity of said member forming an inwardly facing ball race, anti-friction balls in the race of the ring, and means for holding the ring against rotation, the ring being provided with a transverse, troughshaped oflset leading to the ball race of the ring.

3. Repair structure for the ignition timer of an internal combustion engine, said structure comprising a renewable, transversely divided wear'ring including first and second flange portions shaped for engagement with the inner surface of ahousing, on opposite sides of a ball race groove therein, the first and second flange portions being connected by a trough-like member, the convexity of which is shaped to fit closely in said ball race groove of a housing, the concavity of said member forming an inwardly facing ball race, anti-friction balls in the race of the ring, and means for holding the ring against rotation, the holding means embodying outwardly extended fingers on the ring,-located at the place Where it is divided.

LAWRENCE WARREN RAY. 

